Five

 We had "waited on the Lord".

We had a good Christian courtship.

We had premarital counseling.

We were madly in love.

He proposed, of course I said "YES!"

We saved our first kiss for the wedding day.

I realize what a cliche that sounds like, but I'm glad we did.

There's something precious in it, 

and our relationship was built far beyond anything physical.

So, when the "big day" arrived, we were totally ready.

 It was destiny! It was glorious!

 

It was beautiful, and so pink. 

Let me tell you, there was a lot of pink goin' on.

(It's still my favorite color!)

We had family and friends who supported us, encouraged us, and loved us.

It was the classic church wedding,

complete with bride-in-the-nursery shots.

Haha!

 

Our parents gave us to that moment,

and I wish I would have better grasped all that meant.

I wish I would have savored this walk.

It was such a blur-I looked into Scott's eyes the whole time,

but I wish I would have held my daddy's hand, too.

Because my life was changing, and I ignored the importance of the transition.

 

Then we stood before 450 people,

and vowed our lives to each other.

That's all pretty blurry, too.

Such a lovestruck high!

It went so fast, and we were so caught up with being in love!!

I wish I could go back to that moment and say,

"WAIT! You are committing to happiness, to sorrow, to gain, to loss. 

Take a deep breath, mean it with every fiber of your being, 

and go forward with convinced purpose, not just butterflies."

 

Because here we are, five years later, with more at stake.

We have invested in each other, 

we have grown closer,

we have had children,

we have lost together,

and we have gained more from each other.

I love being married

and I love my husband.

I have also come to realize that a good marriage

is based on waking up every morning intending to honor God.

It's not for my husband, it's not for me,

it's for the One who created us, who put us together,

and who made us one.

With each passing year my commitment grows, my appreciation of Scott grows, and my devotion to us grows, and my devotion to Christ grows.

4th

 Four roses for four years

 because

Four years ago

my daddy walked me down an aisle,

and gave me away.

 

 When he gave me away, he gave Scott my purity ring that I had worn for 4 years.

It was an emotional moment-the man that had protected and guarded me for 19 years was giving those rights to another.

(I still tear up, thinking about it.)

 Our fathers spoke blessings over us before we were pronounced Man and Wife.

I am ever grateful for our fathers. They are amazing men.

I love how pleased Scott looks as I sign our license!

We kept our very first kiss for our wedding day.

Which meant that Wedding Day was Kissing Day!

We were surrounded by decades of faithfulness.

These parents showed us what faithful, selfless, giving marriage should be.

They are still showing us; I am beyond thankful for our Fathers and Mothers!

It's interesting walking into marriage.

Questions we talked about, such as

"Where do we see ourselves in five years?"

and

"What do you think our kids will be like?"

are things that by God's grace we are seeing answered.

Four short years

with Baby #3 on the way

and sorrow and triumph under our belts

(we've learned quickly the In Sickness and In Health bit)

I feel as though we are still just getting started.

And I am thankful for how far we have come.

Life is richer, fuller, better, more wonderful because of the man I married.

I love Scott more than I have words for-he completes me.

Our wedding verse:

"The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy." Psalm 126:3

We are still speaking this truth, year after year.

Two Years

My very darling husband brought these home:

(note to self: next year, just forget again that hubby will get flowers, because it's really fun to be genuinely surprised by a bouquet.)

and this evening we had a long dinner at Perkins...
then went and saw this:

(cute movie, by the way.)

My awesome sister stayed with the kiddo, and then attempted to get a decent picture of us two goofballs for historical posterity.

................................
I can't say how wonderful these last two years have been. We have been through a lot...and in every tiny detail I see the loving, mighty hand of God. He has blessed us, and I am thankful beyond words for every moment I am Mrs. Scott Kratzer.